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RC Buford on Gregg Popovich: “He’s incredibly disciplined—one of the most disciplined people I’ve ever met. He comes into the gym five days a week, does his rehabilitation, and continues to get better. The most emotional part of his journey now is that Tim has been in the gym with him every day. When Manu, Tony, or Boris come in from out of town, they’re there with him every day as well. It’s incredible to see the love and respect they have for each other. None of those guys have to be there, and Pop would still be there whether they were or not. To me, that shows we have a different kind of relationship and emotional connection within our organization, because I don’t think there are many teams where you would see that.”
RC Buford: “I think it was it wasn't intentional just on France. I think it was more intentional in 1999 when 97 we get Tim Duncan. We already had David Robinson. We won our first championship in 1999 and we believed that we were going to be good for a while while those guys were going to play together. And that being the case, we needed to we were going to draft at the end of the first round. And if we were drafting at the end of the first round and we were just watching American college players, we'd be drafting a player that 25 other teams would have passed on. And so we became intentional about let's get in gyms where other people aren't and start looking for players differently than maybe the league was at the time. And it really fit the way Pop wanted to coach. He wanted to team build with a very internationally diverse group of people so that we could all learn together."
LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne may be competing in the Leaders Cup, but the biggest plays are happening off the court. Tony Parker confirmed that the French club is in discussions with several US investment funds as it pushes to secure a place in the future NBA Europe project. "I've had visits from four very large U.S. funds," he explained to L'Equipe. Because of confidentiality agreements, he declined to share financial details.
But unlike Victor Wembanyama? This famous Frenchman had the decades of perspective to recognize how familiar it all looks. “The DNA is still there,” Tony Parker told the Express-News this weekend of a Spurs franchise trying to revive its glory days. “It’s the culture and everything we built for 20 years. But it’s kind of a modern way.”
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It's about the reigning Rookie of the Year and the most recent No. 2 pick in the NBA draft making their forebearers proud, too. “They’re so fearless,” Parker said of Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper. “That’s how I was. That’s how Manu (Ginobili) was.”
Tatum also laid out countries that will likely host the 10-to-12 permanent NBA Europe franchises, identifying France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Turkey and Greece. He also specifically singled out potential Euroleague clubs such as Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich and LDLC ASVEL (owned by former NBAer Tony Parker). “Almost like the Champions League of basketball in Europe,” Tatum said. “So brands like Real Madrid and Barca and Man City and PSG and AC Milan playing basketball. That’s pretty compelling. Not only premium live sports content that’s relevant in Europe, but it’s relevant globally. It’s relevant in Asia, it’s relevant in the United States and North America because some of the brands that we’re talking to have tremendous global followings.” He also mentioned there would likely be a bridge year before four other teams qualify for the league in Year 2, saying, “If you’re in Lithuania, if you’re in Serbia, if you’re in Croatia, other clubs in those markets, we want every team to have an opportunity to play into that top tier league.”
While you have done everything, since you became president of Asvel (2014), to be in the Euroleague… Between 2016 and 2019, there were no French clubs in the EuroLeague, and of course we wanted to join so there would be one at the highest level. That's what we did. But then, I knew very well that the NBA would come one day, and that's why we did everything we could to be ready for the NBA.
How could there be an agreement between the two entities after the statements of Paulius Motiejunas, head of the Euroleague? (1). Tony Parker: I hope they reach an agreement. Ultimately, if we have to choose between NBA Europe and the EuroLeague, I've always said we'll choose NBA Europe. Because for me, the NBA is the biggest brand in the world, and I want to be a part of it.
The French basketball federation announced Friday that four-time NBA champion Tony Parker will take over as head coach of France’s under-17 men’s national team. The team has already qualified for next year’s FIBA U17 World Cup in Istanbul. The job will be Parker’s first head-coaching position, and the former San Antonio Spurs guard said his move to the sideline was inspired by the memory of his father, Tony Parker Sr., who died last month. Parker told ESPN’s Andscape that while sorting through his father’s belongings, he found a list of goals that Parker Sr. had written for his three sons. Among Parker Sr.’s wishes was the desire that his son Tony become a coach for the French national team and the NBA.
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Tony Parker said he has turned down opportunities to be an assistant coach in the NBA but plans to pursue other coaching opportunities after the Under-17 World Cup. “It has been a year that we’ve been talking about [coaching],” Parker said about his father. “And I told him that I was missing the court. And he’s the one who was like, ‘Let’s go. Let’s coach. Let’s go on the court, help those kids. And with all that knowledge that you have, let’s put it to use.’ It’s been great what I did with winning all those championships and been great what I did with the academy, but it’s not the same as being on the court. “And so, my dad was like, ‘Let’s do it.’ That’s why it’s funny that on his birthday, October 15, I got the call that I got the job.”
The Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer checked one goal off his father’s wish list by agreeing to become head coach of France’s under-17 men’s basketball team participating in the 2026 FIBA Under-17 Basketball World Cup. “When I went through his notes after he passed away, one of his notes was top 10 goals for his kids,” Tony Parker told Andscape in a phone interview. “And when it came to me, it was coaching in the NBA and coaching the national team. That’s what he put on goals for me. So, it gives me a great inspiration and great motivation to follow this dream… “I want to give back because I miss the court. I miss the adrenaline, the challenge, the drive to win something. The front office is fun, but it’s not the same as being on the court.”
According to Le Progres, per BeBasket, LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne are preparing to leave the EuroLeague after the 2025-26 season and move to the Basketball Champions League, with an eye on joining the future NBA Europe project. The French powerhouse, once expected to renew its EuroLeague license, seems ready to step away from the competition. According to reports, the move comes amid mounting frustration with financial losses.
Tony Parker Senior, the beloved father of NBA four-time champion and San Antonio Spurs legend Tony Parker, has died at the age of 70. His passing was described as "sudden and unexpected" in a statement sent by Tony Parker to AFP. Parker Sr. was a familiar figure in French basketball, always present in the stands or on the sidelines, supporting his son and the sport he himself loved and played.